Raul Grijalva refuses a fair fight in Democratic primary

Grijalva’s opponent in the Congressional District 3 primary has come out swinging, accusing the long-time incumbent Representative of Chicago-style tactics. It appears that the Democratic Party machinery from the top down has more or less blacklisted Arreguin, refusing him access to voter information.

From Arreguin’s team:

Is this Chicago? On May 4, 2012, Arizona State Democratic Party Bosses acted like political bosses of old as they denied Dr. Manny Arreguin, candidate for Congress in District 3, access to the VAN list. According to the Arizona State Democratic Party Website (http://www.azdem.org/about/party_services/index.html) the VAN List is included in the list of services “provided exclusively to all Democratic Precinct Committeepersons, Democratic Candidates and affiliated Democratic organizations.”

Sounds pretty straightforward…

Dr. Arreguin stated: “Today the State Democratic party attempted to impose their will on the people of Southern Arizona. I believe that the State Democratic Party bosses do not and should never hold the keys to our democracy. Historically, our Party has been an oasis in the desert that encouraged diverse opinions and welcomed participation of those who felt disenfranchised. It is unacceptable to sacrifice these principals on the altar of political patronage. This seat does not belong to the State Democratic Party; it belongs to the people of Congressional District 3.”

It’s pretty hard to argue with Dr. Arreguin’s logic here. If Grijalva really believes in “access”, “creating a level playing field”, and other phrases often used by politicians on the left, he should allow for this primary to be a fair fight.